Overview & Reviews

Land Rover is a luxury SUV manufacturer that has its roots in England. Many of its vehicles are replete with the sort of leather-lined comforts that call to mind hunting lodges and high tea. Land Rovers are also known for being stellar trail-busters, endowed with the moxie to get down and dirty when the road gets rough. Currently owned by Tata Motors, Land Rover is one of just a few automotive brands in the United States to solely market SUV products.

After World War II, two British brothers, Spencer and Maurice Wilks, were impressed by the rugged and versatile nature of the U.S. Army's Jeep. They worked with the British automaker Rover to create the first Land Rover in 1948. Called the Series I, this truck was equipped with permanent four-wheel-drive, a canvas roof and optional doors. These early Land Rovers were crude but extremely well-suited for operations in the field.

The 1950s saw Land Rovers moving toward increased power and refinement. Launched in 1958, the Series II offered added horsepower and a somewhat less rudimentary exterior, with sills designed to disguise the exhaust and chassis. The first diesel-powered Rover was also produced during these years. The Series IIA came next, in a production run that lasted from 1961-'71. As the '60s drew to a close, Rover was acquired by Leyland Motors Ltd. (which would later become British Leyland).

Land Rover's storied Range Rover made its debut in 1970. Equipped with a V8 engine and a body made mostly of aluminum, the stylish vehicle was more consumer-oriented than its predecessors. In the mid-'70s, British Leyland was nationalized; by the mid-'80s, the company — renamed the Rover Group — had been acquired by British Aerospace.

The automaker officially entered the U.S. automotive market in 1987 when the Range Rover made its debut on American shores. It was followed in 1989 by the Discovery, which was initially offered only in two-door form. The Discovery was the first all-new Land Rover in 19 years.

In the 1990s, the sudden popularity of the burgeoning SUV segment placed the brand in an enviable position. In response, Land Rover's vehicles, while still retaining their go-anywhere attitude, became more luxurious, particularly after BMW bought the company in 1995.

The Land Rover family of vehicles has continued to grow. The late '90s saw the introduction of the Freelander; the compact sport-ute held the distinction of being the first production vehicle to offer Hill Descent Control. The latter optimized maneuverability on steep descents by automatically braking to keep the vehicle's speed in check.

BMW's control was short lived, however, and in 2000 Land Rover was sold to Ford. Ford worked hard to improve the reliability of Land Rover's vehicles, but by 2008 Ford's financial instability resulted in Land Rover being sold again, this time to the Indian automaker Tata Motors.

Today, Land Rover is still well known for its luxury SUVs, including the ritzy yet rugged Range Rover as well as smaller and more affordable models like the LR4 and Evoque.

User Reviews:

• 

  Fun 4x4 - 2005 Land Rover Freelander
  By Bill Powell - September 25 - 7:03 pm

  I owned a Land Rover Discovery before the Freelander. I find the Freelander to be very capable, comfortable and it does all I ask of it. I like the distinctive exterior style. Compared to the "thirsty" Discovery which required premium gas, the Freelander is economical as it gets better mileage and uses regular grade gas. I am very happy with my Freelander after owning it for 15 months and 14,000 miles. Frankly, it fits my needs much better than the Discovery did and is far more reliable. In short, the Freelander is a true Land Rover without some of the shortcomings of the bigger models.

• 

  Nice little ride - 2002 Land Rover Freelander
  By devynsdad - September 25 - 5:10 pm

  I had a 2002 Freelander for about a year and a half before we had a third child and traded up to a Discovery. In the time I had it I had one problem with the coolant hose popping, but I was just pulling into my driveway when it happened, so no biggy. We made three 1000+ mile roundtrips in the Freelander, and had no problems at all. In a sea of Escapes, Libertys Rav4s and CRVs the Freelander is a very sweet little alternative. Plus Land Rover dealerships treat everyone so much better than other makes its amazing.

• 

  rotten rover - 2004 Land Rover Freelander
  By surreyman - September 24 - 10:00 am

  Purchased in 2007 this 2004 model had done only 15,000 miles. The first thing to go wrong was a fuel pump at 15,500 miles. The lr dealer did not want to know neither did lr head office. Then the window regulators went within weeks in the back. Finally, having serviced the car every six months and at 35,000 miles the turbo went. The workshop said I should use an lr new turbo due to the quality so I laughed and said I had had it with lr quality. I found an independent shop reconditioning turbos and got one for another workshop to fit. Thats $2500 instead of $3300 at the dealers. So about half the car value retail and close to trade in prices.

• 

  Dream Car, but not quite a Nightmare - 2003 Land Rover Discovery
  By vgardon - September 24 - 10:00 am

  I have always wanted this car and finally bought one in 11/2008. It was already 5 years old, but initially ran well. However, after having it for about 1 year, major issues arose (i.e., O2 sensors went, window motor broke, major ticking noise from under the hood, etc). This car is very expensive to maintain and after a while, it just wasnt worth pouring any more money into it. Thankfully, it has never shut down on me, but I dont think I would buy another one until I know much more about maintaining luxury cars.

• 

  D Rover - 2003 Land Rover Discovery
  By demast - September 20 - 2:00 am

  This is a great SUV with unbelievable off-road capability. The only downfall is the poor gas mileage. Would highly recommend this vehicle to anyone that needs full time four wheel drive.

• 

  Great for Family - 2004 Land Rover Range Rover
  By Z DOGGIE - September 20 - 2:00 am

  great car, it has everything you want from every other car such as when it comes to room and distance! looks really luxeries! great for distant trips. Great family car!

• 

  Whatever you do keep it awayyyyyy!! - 2003 Land Rover Discovery
  By thesonnyjim - September 17 - 12:13 am

  I was the second owner at 38k miles with existing warranty paid 16.5k from Private seller about 5 years ago. At first glance I loved the car but after driving it for 6 months, a Nightmare!! The gaskets went, luckily I had warranty but still had to pay labor. Every little thing started to break down, cheap plastic pieces would break off and cost expensive for something that should cost very cheap & actuators go alot. Make a long story short after replacing the rear hydraulics (paid 4k & 2 months in the shop) I took the car to a dealer that took it in at a value of 4700 and traded it in for a 2012 Toyota Sienna SE. Im very happy with that vehicle. A Land Rover...Never again in this lifetime!

• 

  Wish I would have stayed with Nissan - 2004 Land Rover Discovery
  By Zachary - September 16 - 9:53 am

  I purchased my Disco because my father has owned one since 1995 and has had very good luck with it. So when I finally got the means to afford a disco I purchased my 2004. The first issue I had was the tranny coolant line went and left me stranded 6 hours into a road trip. Now Im also having issues with flooded floor boards after car washes and AC usage on very hot days. The things a gas pig and has a rear differential leak and maybe and engine leak. I had my oil replaced a month ago and had to add a quart of oil to the engine. Is this normal I would hope not. Over all Im thinking of taking a hit and purchasing another Pathfinder.

• 

  LR3 - 2005 Land Rover LR3
  By mick51 - September 16 - 9:33 am

  A definite step up from the Discovery. I loved my Discovery but this offers much more comfort & same sense of rugged reliability. LR3 is a more comfortable ride.

• 

  It is such fun to drive!! - 2004 Land Rover Discovery
  By lola - September 14 - 2:00 am

  When we take a long and tiring day trip, the Land Rover makes it much more enjoyable, not only because of the smooth ride it gives, but the comfort level is way up there. We had another Discovery a few years back, and obviously there have been a few improvements since then. We love it!! This one is a true keeper!!!The service we receive at the dealership is superb!